My next tip for improving your Salsa is to instil the following mind set “Move on Quickly”. While people start to fume about this statement and start seeing red I will state that there is a difference between Moving On Quickly (moving between instructors and schools) and Rushing Up Levels (moving up classes). For me you should always go to the level which maximises your learning; be that beginners or an advanced class. However, a trait that I have observed in students that progress quickly is that their learning pattern will follow a well-worn path.
They will:
1) Dedicate themselves to an instructor
2) Absorb as much as they can
3) Move on quickly
So why is this an important mindset to have?
Dedicate themselves to an instructor
I will always advise students to try out classes from as many instructors as possible, select the instructor that meets their current needs and then dedicate yourself to them. I often talk to my students and recommend other teachers who may be able to fulfil their requirements more effectively. This is not about teachers being better or worse but I find that the perfect match between a student and instructor is actually dependent on several factors:
Roadmap – Most students that progress quickly have a roadmap for where they want to go.
Drive – How much time they are willing to invest to complete their roadmap.
Personality – What do they need as a person?
Once you have found your ideal instructor then dedicating yourself will allow you to get all the benefits from an instructor; going to the occasional class makes it a lot harder for instructors to work on you in a progressive manner.
Tip: Ask yourself what your roadmap is? Would you like to be a performer, teacher, and social dancer? What are your ambitions? Be honest with yourself. Then ask yourself if you are dedicated to your current instructor, if not why? Ask yourself if your current instructor is fulfilling your needs?
Absorb as much as you can
When you start with an instructor you will always have a steep learning curve as you learn a new philosophy, set of techniques and set of content. This initial exposure to new material may be overwhelming at first but as you gradually ease into it things become easier. The main objective here is to take as much knowledge as you can, filter out what you don’t like and include all the things that feel good to you into your repertoire.
As a student I like to be challenged and to pick up something new and exciting in every lesson; this feeling of growth is addictive and ideal for learning. Once you feel that you are picking up maybe one thing a lesson then you most probably have reached the 80% phase i.e. you have taken 80% of what the instructor has to offer. If you imagine the traditional S-curve the first 80% of a teacher in a certain level can be achieved within 6-12 months; after that period you are searching for the final 20% which can take 2-5 years.
Tip: Ask yourself if you are still in the 80% learning phase with your current instructor or if you have gone beyond this. If you have gone beyond then it is time to move up to another level or look for an alternative school unless you really need that final 20%.
Move on quickly
We all get attached. This is a part of life. No one can do anything about this. Within Salsa, we become attached to venues, music that is played at venues, people, and the bar tender… many things. This attachment does serve a purpose but I personally believe that it will hinder your progression as a student. As a student, the challenge is to focus on your education, dedicate yourself to an instructor, complete the 80% mark and then move on quickly.
Tip: Ask yourself if you should move on quickly? Are you happy with your current instructor because you are still in the 80% phase? Or are you staying because of other reasons?
Final Thoughts
Throughout my Salsa journey I have moved on quickly between instructors. Past instructors such as Miguel Monteiro, Laith Sami, Irene Miguel who have all influenced me and more recently the TNT Instructor Team now influence my dancing and progression.
I would love to know what your thoughts are on this article. Please leave me a comment.
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